Sunday, February 28, 2010

Outlandos D'Amour

I think one of the most fun things that comes with being a fan of music is rediscovering an album that you haven't listened to in ages and being reminded just how amazing it sounded when you first heard it. This happened to me this past week when The Police's debut album, Outlandos D'Amour, came on randomly and I was immediately reminded of it's brilliance. Fueled by the punk scene of the late 70's and combined with a heavy dose of reggae and early 80's new wave, this has got to be one of the all time best debut albums by a band.

The first three songs on this album are just such an infectiousness powerhouse of rock that it's impossible not to overstate their greatness. Stewart Copeland's hard pounding punkish drumming sets the tone from opening notes of Next to You and doesn't let up until the closing of Masoko Tanga. So Lonely is a perfect composition, once again showcasing Copeland's drumming skills, Sting's lyrical ability and a sick guitar solo by Andy Summers. Roxanne, though used and abused over the years by radio stations everywhere, still has to considered a classic rock n roll tune by critics and fans alike. This album also provides a wonderful juxtaposition musically and lyrically combining groovy up tempo beats with songs about heartbreak, suicide, and sex with blow up dolls- making this the happiest sad album I have ever heard.

7 comments:

Great album, better cover. A friend recently turned me onto a SICK demo version of "every little thing she does is magic": http://demohero.com/2010/02/the-police-every-little-thing-she-does-is-magic-77-demo/